Music industry in Vijayawada all set to dole out songs and tunes fitting the ideologies and manifestoes of various political parties. As a result, city studios are witnessing hectic activity, with music directors, lyricists and singers joining hands to generate catchy tunes for a price.
“This season is the best, as elections for zilla parishad, corporation, Assembly and Parliament will take place in the next two months. Parties are waiting for the Election Commission’s nod before they start visiting studios. As the last date for withdrawal of nominations for corporation polls is on Sunday, we can expect more activity from Monday,” says music director-cum-singer Satish.
According to him, parties often go for popular film songs to attract the attention of the masses. “As the tune is already registered in the minds of the people, it is an added advantage for them. Usually, parties choose songs in which the names of the leaders can be accommodated deftly,” says Mohammad Khaja, a singer.
Earlier, recordings were orchestrated live, but with better technology, composing today is done on track system. “We just do voice mixing on the track, in which the music already exists,” says Vardhan of Justin Digitals.
A five-minute song costs between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 10,000, depending on the quality of the studio, recording and other elements such as singers, lyrists and music directors. “A professional male singer charges Rs, 1,500 and female singer Rs. 2,000,” says Satish.
Most songs are composed in the folk genre, and they have a good reach. “These tunes are racy and rhythmic. They have a lasting impact on the masses if composed well. Quality-conscious producers visit Hyderabad to record at cutting-edge studios,” says Vardhan, who is currently composing songs for the Indian Christian Secular Party (ICSP), a new political outfit.
On many occasions, quality takes the backseat. There are more than two dozen run-of-the-mill studios with no proper acoustic facilities.
